Tuesday, 19 June 2007
My students
For me, the hardest thing about changing job is leaving my students behind. For a year I've been teaching a group of lovely and enthusiastic students. Teaching them was such a wonderful experience. Look at the gift they made for me.
Monday, 18 June 2007
Holiday -- Tipang
I'm having a month of holiday.
In the beginning of this month, my parents and I went to North + West Sumatra. As some of you probably know, my grandfather came from North Sumatra. The thing is, he went away from home in 1914. Everybody thought this teenager was dead. Imagine their surprise when 40 years later he was on his way back, with his wife and his two oldest sons.
My father was 6 years old when his father brought him there. None of him and his siblings has ever gone to the village since.
Last year, when I was on business trip to North Sumatra, I took extra days and tried to retrace my grandfathers footstep. I found Tipang, the village where he came from, surprising the entire family. I also found our relative there, a second cousin of mine.
Was it easy to find Tipang? For our family, it was like telling an Indonesian who has never been in NL to go to Matenweg in NL (without mentioning that it is in Enschede!) ... but when I was in Balige, I found out that it was as if you happen to be in UT and asked where Matenweg is.
Tipang is situated by Lake Toba, in the non-touristic part of the lake. The scenery is very beautiful (forget Parapat).
I must confess that the road was not good though.
At a certain point we had to turn around because it was not passable. Imagine turning the car in a road where its width is the same as the car's, the mountain is on your left, a cliff is on your right. :p And after it, we found 3 buffaloes on the road (yeah, lagi berkubang!).
The road condition was worse than last year. My parents were muted, praising God that their daughter was save on her adventure last year.
So, finally we reached Tipang in the afternoon. The waterfall, the rice field, the lake, they're still as beautiful as I remembered. This time, I brought my parents ... and history was made. :-)
In the beginning of this month, my parents and I went to North + West Sumatra. As some of you probably know, my grandfather came from North Sumatra. The thing is, he went away from home in 1914. Everybody thought this teenager was dead. Imagine their surprise when 40 years later he was on his way back, with his wife and his two oldest sons.
My father was 6 years old when his father brought him there. None of him and his siblings has ever gone to the village since.
Last year, when I was on business trip to North Sumatra, I took extra days and tried to retrace my grandfathers footstep. I found Tipang, the village where he came from, surprising the entire family. I also found our relative there, a second cousin of mine.
Was it easy to find Tipang? For our family, it was like telling an Indonesian who has never been in NL to go to Matenweg in NL (without mentioning that it is in Enschede!) ... but when I was in Balige, I found out that it was as if you happen to be in UT and asked where Matenweg is.
Tipang is situated by Lake Toba, in the non-touristic part of the lake. The scenery is very beautiful (forget Parapat).
I must confess that the road was not good though.
At a certain point we had to turn around because it was not passable. Imagine turning the car in a road where its width is the same as the car's, the mountain is on your left, a cliff is on your right. :p And after it, we found 3 buffaloes on the road (yeah, lagi berkubang!).
The road condition was worse than last year. My parents were muted, praising God that their daughter was save on her adventure last year.
So, finally we reached Tipang in the afternoon. The waterfall, the rice field, the lake, they're still as beautiful as I remembered. This time, I brought my parents ... and history was made. :-)
Monday, 14 May 2007
Mother's day
Yesterday's service was dedicated for mothers. As the preacher led us to remember our mothers, and singing the following song (sang by Nikita few years ago), I saw many reached for tissue.
Di Doa Ibuku Namaku Disebut
Di waktu ku masih kecil
gembira dan senang
Tiada duka ku kenal
tak kunjung mengerang
Di sore hari nan sepi
ibuku bertelut
Sujud berdoa ku dengar
namaku disebut
Reff :
Di doa ibuku
namaku disebut
Di doa ibu ku dengar
ada namaku disebut
Seringlah kini ku kenang
di masa yang berat
Di kala hidup mendesak
dan nyaris ku sesat
Melintas gambar ibuku
sewaktu bertelut
Kembali sayup ku dengar
namaku disebut
Sekarang dia telah pergi
ke rumah yang senang
Namun kasihnya padaku
selalu ku kenang
Kelak di sana kami pun
bersama bertelut
Memuji Tuhan yang dengan
namaku disebut
Tuesday, 8 May 2007
Pepper Butt
Pepper butt is a term used by a friend of mine to describe people who cannot sit still -- always want to travel.
I kinda realised that the term can be applied to me. My doses of travelling had been multiplied during my stay in Europe -- wanting to see as much as I could within the limited time I had. (Though I didn't aim to get a degree in travelling like some people I know.)
Having back in Indonesia, I must adapt to working condition that only allow 12 days of leave annually. Within this 12 days I must allocate Christmas and New Year holiday with my family. It doesn't give me a lot of time left. I am currently as pepper butt as I can be.
A friend of mine reminded that I had indeed travelled around New Year -- I claimed that it doesn't count, as we were travelling mostly to the area I've known before. Later I realised that last year I had my adventure in North Sumatra, where I retraced my ancestor's path, and found my root. A physical and spiritual journey, so indeed I had travelled.
I've been planning a week of travelling next month and I want more. What can I say other than having a pepper-butt?
I kinda realised that the term can be applied to me. My doses of travelling had been multiplied during my stay in Europe -- wanting to see as much as I could within the limited time I had. (Though I didn't aim to get a degree in travelling like some people I know.)
Having back in Indonesia, I must adapt to working condition that only allow 12 days of leave annually. Within this 12 days I must allocate Christmas and New Year holiday with my family. It doesn't give me a lot of time left. I am currently as pepper butt as I can be.
A friend of mine reminded that I had indeed travelled around New Year -- I claimed that it doesn't count, as we were travelling mostly to the area I've known before. Later I realised that last year I had my adventure in North Sumatra, where I retraced my ancestor's path, and found my root. A physical and spiritual journey, so indeed I had travelled.
I've been planning a week of travelling next month and I want more. What can I say other than having a pepper-butt?
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